Dispensing Apparatus and Method for Stacked Containers

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for dispensing a single container for containing foodstuffs includes a housing, a lift subassembly, and a transfer subassembly. The housing at least partially defines an inner area. The lift subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at least partially within the inner area. The lift subassembly includes a nest configured to support a plurality of containers disposed in a stack and translate with respect to the housing in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction. The transfer subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at least partially within the inner area. The transfer subassembly includes a end effector. The end effector is configured to operatively engage a first container of the plurality of containers to remove the first container from the stack and move the first container outside of the inner area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.17/254,777 filed on Dec. 21, 2020 (now U.S. Pat. No. 11,161,639), whichis a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/US2019/038343filed Jun. 20, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/687,799 filed on Jun. 20, 2018. The entiredisclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of automated foodpreparation and more specifically to automated systems and methods forpackaging foodstuffs.

BACKGROUND

Preparation of foodstuffs (for example, hamburgers, sandwiches, etc.)according to a consumer's custom order can be time-consuming andlabor-intensive. Furthermore, the process of preparing custom-orderedfoodstuffs is susceptible to errors and wide variations in quality. Thepresent disclosure provides an automated food preparation system thatcan quickly and accurately prepare foodstuffs according to a widevariety of possible custom orders with limited human involvement.

The background description provided here is for the purpose of generallypresenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently namedinventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, aswell as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify asprior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedlyadmitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

An apparatus for dispensing a single box for containing foodstuffsincludes a housing, a lift subassembly, and a transfer subassembly. Thehousing at least partially defines an inner area. The lift subassemblyis coupled to the housing. The lift subassembly is disposed at leastpartially within the inner area. The lift subassembly includes a nest.The nest is configured to support a plurality of boxes disposed in astack. The nest is further configured to translate with respect to thehousing in a first direction and a second direction opposite the firstdirection. The transfer subassembly is coupled to the housing. Thetransfer subassembly is disposed at least partially within the innerarea. The transfer subassembly includes a vacuum suction cup. The vacuumsuction cup is configured to operatively engage a first box of theplurality of boxes to remove the first box from the stack and pivot thefirst box about a rotational axis to a surface outside of the innerarea.

In other features, the apparatus further includes a separatorsubassembly. The separator subassembly is coupled to the housing. Theseparator subassembly is disposed at least partially within the innerarea. The separator subassembly includes an arm. The arm is configuredto translate with respect to the housing between a retracted positionand an extended position. In the retracted position, the arm isdisengaged from the plurality of boxes. In the extended position, thearm is configured to engage at least one of the first box or a secondbox adjacent to the first box in the stack.

In other features, the arm in the extended position is configured toengage the second box to retain the second box on the stack while thetransfer subassembly removes the first box from the stack.

In other features, the arm includes a first arm and a second arm. Thefirst arm is configured to translate with respect to the housing betweena first retracted position and a first extended position independent ofthe second arm. The second arm is configured to translate with respectto the housing between a second retracted position and a second extendedposition independent of the first arm.

In other features, the first arm in the first extended position isconfigured to cooperate with the second arm in the second extendedposition to retain the first box between the first arm and the secondarm. The first arm is configured to prevent translation of the first boxin the second direction. The second arm is configured to preventtranslation of the first box in the first direction.

In other features, the arm is pivotable with respect to the housingbetween a first separator position and a second separator position.

In other features, the arm is disposed in the second direction withrespect to the stack. The arm is configured to pivot from the firstseparator position to the second separator position via engagement withthe first box when the lift subassembly translates the stack in thesecond direction. The arm is configured to automatically return to thefirst separator position from the second separator position upondisengagement with the first box when the lift subassembly translatesthe stack in the first direction.

In other features, the vacuum suction cup is configured to translatebetween a retracted position and an extended position with respect tothe housing.

In other features, the vacuum suction cup is configured to pivot aboutat least one of a first pivot axis substantially parallel to therotational axis and a second pivot axis substantially perpendicular tothe rotational axis.

In other features, the transfer subassembly further includes an opticalsensor. The optical sensor is configured to pivot about the rotationalaxis together with the vacuum suction cup.

In other features, the vacuum suction cup includes a first vacuumsuction cup and a second vacuum suction cup. The first vacuum suctioncup is configured to operatively engage a first portion of the firstbox. The second vacuum suction cup is configured to operatively engage asecond portion of the first box.

In other features, the first vacuum suction cup and the second vacuumsuction cup are configured to pivot together about the rotational axis.The first vacuum suction cup and the second vacuum suction cup areconfigured to translate together between a retracted position and anextended position. The first vacuum suction cup and the second vacuumsuction cup are configured to independently pivot about respective firstpivot axes substantially parallel to the rotational axis and respectivesecond pivot axes substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis.

In other features, the transfer subassembly is configured to pivot thefirst box through an angle about 180° about the rotational axis betweena grip position and a placement position. The first box has an open sidedisposed toward the first direction in the grip position and the seconddirection in the placement position.

In other features, the lift subassembly further includes a plurality ofposts extending substantially parallel to the first direction and thesecond direction. The nest is disposed within a perimeter at leastpartially defined by the plurality of posts. The plurality of posts isconfigured to cooperate with the nest to retain the stack within theinner area.

A box for containing foodstuffs includes a first portion, a secondportion, and a joint. The first portion includes a curved wall having afirst perimeter. The first perimeter includes a first edge, a secondedge, and a centerline extending between the first edge and the secondedge. The curved wall defines a substantially V-shaped projectiondisposed between the first edge and the centerline. The V-shapedprojection includes a first leg, a second leg, and a peak connecting thefirst leg and the second leg. The first leg extends from the peak to anintersection of the centerline and the first edge. The second legextends from the peak to an intermediate point adjacent to the firstedge. A second portion includes a floor and a peripheral wallsurrounding the floor and extending from the floor. The peripheral wallhas a second perimeter. At least a portion of the floor is substantiallyplanar. A joint pivotally connects the curved wall of the first portionand the peripheral wall of the second portion such that the box ismovable between a closed position and an open position. The firstportion and the second portion cooperate to define a compartment in theclosed position. The curved wall is convex with respect to thecompartment. The substantially V-shaped projection is concave withrespect to the compartment.

In other features, the first perimeter and the second perimeter aresubstantially lens shaped.

In other features, the curved wall further includes a first elongatedprojection, a second elongated projection, and a third elongatedprojection. The first elongated projection is disposed between thecenterline and the second edge. The first elongated projection isdisposed opposite the V-shaped projection with respect to thecenterline. The second elongated projection is disposed between thefirst edge and the centerline. The second elongated projection is spacedapart from the V-shaped projection along the centerline. The thirdelongated projection is disposed between the second edge and thecenterline. The third elongated projection is spaced apart from thefirst elongated projection along the centerline. The third elongatedprojection is disposed opposite the second elongated projection withrespect to the centerline. The first elongated projection, the secondelongated projection, and the third elongated projection are concavewith respect to the compartment.

In other features, the peripheral wall defines a first height adjacentto the joint and a second height opposite the joint. The first height isgreater than the second height.

In other features, the floor includes a stage and a channel. The stageprojects into the compartment. The stage configured to supportfoodstuffs. The channel is at least partially defined by the stage andthe peripheral wall.

A method of dispensing a box from an apparatus includes providing aplurality of boxes disposed in a stack within an inner area of a housingof the apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing, a lift subassemblycoupled to the housing, and a transfer subassembly coupled to thehousing. The lift subassembly includes a nest. The nest is configured totranslate in a first direction and a second direction opposite the firstdirection with respect to the housing. The nest is configured to bedisposed in the first direction with respect to the stack and supportthe stack. The method further includes positioning a box of theplurality of boxes in a gripping position by operating the liftsubassembly to translate the stack in the second direction. The methodfurther includes gripping the box operating a pump to operatively engagea vacuum suction cup of a transfer subassembly with the box. Thetransfer subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at leastpartially within the inner area. The method further includes operatingthe transfer subassembly to pivot the box about a rotational axis fromthe grip position to a placement position outside of the inner area. Themethod further includes dispensing the box onto a surface by operatingthe pump to disengage the box from the vacuum suction cup.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will becomeapparent from the detailed description, the claims, and the drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposesof illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of thedisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an automated food preparationsystem according to the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a box-dispensing apparatus of theautomated food preparation system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the box-dispensing apparatus ofFIG. 2 showing a lifting assembly.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a separator subassembly of thebox-dispensing apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a gripper subassembly of thebox-dispensing apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a box according to the principles ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the box of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example method of dispensing a box from thebox-dispensing apparatus of FIG. 2 according to certain aspects of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example method of homing the box-dispensingapparatus of FIG. 2 according to certain aspects of the presentdisclosure.

In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similarand/or identical elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, an example of an automated food preparation system 10according to various implementations of the present disclosure isprovided. The automated food preparation system 10 includes abox-dispensing apparatus 12 (also referred to as a container-dispensingapparatus) for placing a container or box 14 onto a conveyance system16. The box-dispensing apparatus 12 transfers the box 14 to theconveyance system 16 for transport to one or more stations, such as abun-dispensing apparatus 18, a toppings-dispensing apparatus 20, and agrinding and cooking apparatus 22.

The box-dispensing apparatus 12 holds multiple boxes, which may besimilar to the box 14, such as in a vertically-oriented stack. Thebox-dispensing apparatus 12 dispenses the boxes one-at-a-time as neededto progress through the automated food preparation system 10. Thebox-dispensing apparatus 12 moves the box 14, also referred to as the“top box” or “first box” from a grip position (shown in solid lines) toa placement position (shown in dashed lines).

In the grip position, the box 14 is on or adjacent to an end of a stackof boxes, such as at the top of the stack of boxes. The box 14 has anopen side 24 that faces a first or downward direction 25 (for example, adirection substantially perpendicular to a surface on which thebox-dispensing apparatus sits). In the placement position, the box 14 isdisposed on a conveyor surface 26 of the conveyance system 16 such thatthe box 14 can be transported by the conveyance system 16. In theplacement position, the open side 24 of the box 14 faces a second orupward direction 27 to receive foodstuffs. The box-dispensing apparatus12 moves the box 14 through an arc between the grip position and theplacement position, as indicated by the arrow 28. In certain aspects,the box-dispensing apparatus 12 may move the box 14 through an angle ofabout 180° from the grip position to the placement position.

The box-dispensing apparatus 12 includes a separator subassembly 30(FIG. 4) and a transfer or gripper subassembly 32 (FIG. 5), which aredescribed in greater detail below. The separator subassembly 30 preventsthe top box from sticking to an adjacent box to ensure that only asingle box is disposed at one time. The separator subassembly 30generally provides a mechanical stop between the box 14 to be dispensedand the adjacent box. The separator subassembly 30 also facilitatesproper positioning of the top box prior to and/or during engagement withthe gripper subassembly 32.

The gripper subassembly 32 can engage the box 14 and maintain engagementas the box 14 travels from the grip position to the placement position.The gripper subassembly 32 can operatively engage the box 14 through useof a vacuum system driven by a pump 34. During transfer from the gripposition to the placement position, the gripper subassembly 32 rotatesthe box 14 from an open-side-down configuration in the grip position toan open-side-up position in the placement position. In various otherimplementations, a box dispensing apparatus may deposit the box 14 ontothe conveyance system 16 without rotating the box 14. For example, if abox is disposed with an open side facing upward in the grip position, agripper subassembly may lift the box off of a stack of boxes andtransport it to the placement position via a sweep that is substantiallyparallel to a conveyor surface.

The conveyance system 16 transports the box 14 in a conveyance direction36 to deliver it to one or more stations, such as the bun-dispensingapparatus 18, the toppings-dispensing apparatus 20, and the grinding andcooking apparatus 22. The bun-dispensing apparatus 18 may includemultiple subsystems, such as a bun slicing subsystem that slices a bun,a bun buttering subsystem that applies butter to each side of the bun,and a bun toaster subsystem that toasts portions (for examples, halves)of the bun before or after buttering. The toppings-dispensing apparatus20 may include multiple subsystems that prepare and load toppings,seasonings, and sauces onto the bun based on custom topping orders. Thegrinding and cooking apparatus 22 may include multiple subsystems, suchas a grinding subsystem that grinds a protein, like meat, a pattysubsystem that forms a patty from the ground protein, and a cookingsubsystem that cooks the patty. One skilled in the art will appreciatethat the automated food processing system 10 may include different oradditional systems and subsystems.

In FIG. 2, an example of the box-dispensing apparatus 12 according tovarious implementations of the present disclosure is provided. Thebox-dispensing apparatus 12 includes a housing 50 that at leastpartially defines an inner area 52. The box-dispensing apparatus 12generally includes a lifting subassembly 54 (FIG. 3), the separatorsubassembly 30 (FIG. 4), and the gripper subassembly 32 (FIG. 5). Eachof the subassemblies 54, 30, 32 is coupled to the housing 50 anddisposed at least partially within the inner area 52 of the housing 50.Portions of each subassembly 54, 30, 32 may be movable with respect tothe housing 50.

In FIG. 3, the housing 50 includes a first wall 56 and a second wall 58.The first and second walls 56, 58 are spaced apart from one another anddisposed on opposite sides of the housing 50. The first and second walls56, 58 extend substantially parallel to one another and have identicalprofiles. In various implementations, each of the first and second walls56, 58 includes a T-shaped profile. The first and second walls 56, 58provide structural support for the box-dispensing apparatus 12. When thebox-dispensing apparatus 12 is arranged in the automated foodpreparation system 10, the first wall 56 may face a viewing area.Accordingly, when the first wall 56 is opaque, the stack of boxes may beconcealed with respect to the viewing area.

The housing 50 further includes one or more supports, such as a first orupper support 60 and a second or lower support 62, to couple andstructurally support the first and second walls 56, 58. The lowersupport 62 acts as a base to engage a surface upon which thebox-dispensing apparatus 12 is disposed. Each of the supports 60, 62 hasa generally U-shaped profile including a connecting beam 64 and a pairof transverse beams 66. The transverse beams 66 (that is, respectivelongitudinal axes of the transverse beams 66) extend substantiallyparallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the first andsecond wall 56, 58. The connecting beams 64 are each coupled to thefirst wall 56. The upper and lower supports 60, 62 may be directlycoupled to the first and second walls 56, 58, such as by a firstplurality of fasteners 68. The housing 50 may include different oradditional walls and/or supports depending on packaging constraints andstructural requirements.

The lifting subassembly 54 provides boxes to the separator and grippersubassemblies 30, 32 (FIG. 2). The lifting subassembly 54 generallyincludes a platform subassembly 80, a linear actuator 82, a first motor84, and a plurality of box guides, such as posts 86. The posts 86 mayextend substantially parallel to the first and second directions 25, 27.That is, the posts 86 may extend substantially vertically.

The platform subassembly 80 supports a stack of boxes. The linearactuator 82 translates the platform subassembly 80 along a pathgenerally parallel to the first and second directions 25, 27. In variousimplementations, the path may be substantially vertical. The first motor84 operatively engages the linear actuator and provides power to thelinear actuator 82. The posts 86 provide lateral support to the stack ofboxes to prevent the boxes from falling out of the stack and retain theboxes within the inner area 52 of the housing 50.

The lifting subassembly 54 may include five posts 86. The posts 86 arecoupled to the upper and lower supports 60, 62, such as by a secondplurality of fasteners 88. The posts 86 extend from the lower support 62to the upper support 60, and beyond the upper support 60. The posts 86extend substantially perpendicular to the surface on which thebox-dispensing apparatus 12 is disposed and substantially parallel toone another. In various implementations, the posts extend substantiallyvertically. Each post 86 includes a distal end 89 that is tapered. Thetaper can act as a guide when a stack of boxes 14 is loaded into thebox-dispensing apparatus 12.

The posts 86 cooperate to define an area into which the platformsubassembly 80 is disposed. The platform subassembly 80 is operativelycoupled to the linear actuator 82. The platform subassembly 80 includesa first base 90, a nest 92, a pair of guards 94, and one or moreconnectors 96. The first base 90 includes a top wall 98 and two opposingside walls 100. The top wall 98 extends between the two side walls 100.Each side wall 100 has a profile that substantially defines a portion ofa right-triangular shape.

The nest 92 includes a bottom wall 102 and a peripheral wall 104. Theperipheral wall 104 extends generally in the upward direction 27 fromthe bottom wall 102. The bottom wall 102 and the peripheral wall 104cooperate to define a receptacle 106 for the stack of boxes (FIG. 2).The receptacle 106 is sized and shaped to complement a perimeter of thebox 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the nest 92 is configured to support thestack of boxes. The nest 92 is coupled to the first base 90.Specifically, the bottom wall 102 of the nest 92 is coupled to the topwall 98 of the first base 90. In various implementations, the nest 92 isremovable from the first base 90. The nest 92 may be removed forcleaning, replacement with a different nest, such as a nest thatconforms to a different box shape, for example.

The first base 90 is coupled to the linear actuator 82 through theconnectors 96. The guards 94 extend from the first base 90 toward thesecond side wall 58. The guards 94 are disposed on opposing sides of thelinear actuator 82.

The first motor 84 provides power to the linear actuator 82 fortranslating the platform subassembly 80 between a first or bottomplatform position and a second or top platform position. The linearactuator 82 generally moves the platform subassembly 80 in the upwarddirection 27 as boxes 14 are dispensed. The linear actuator 82 moves theplatform subassembly 80 in the downward direction 25 to adjust aposition of the box 14 during operation of the box-dispensing apparatus12 once the stack of boxes has been replenished (for example, prior toloading additional boxes into the nest 92), or after loading additionalboxes into the nest 92 but prior to resuming operation of thebox-dispensing apparatus 12. The linear actuator 82 can incrementally orcontinuously translate the platform subassembly 80.

In various implementations, the linear actuator 82 is lead screw drivenand includes a first limit switch and a second limit switch (not shown).However, the box-dispensing apparatus may include different linearactuators or mechanisms for translating the nest 92. In one example, thenest 92 is translated by a belt-pulley system (not shown). In anotherexample, the nest 92 is spring-biased and configured to translate by apredetermined value once a box is removed from the stack (not shown).

In FIG. 4, the separator subassembly 30 is shown. The separatorsubassembly 30 is used to: (i) determine a height of the stack of boxes;(ii) facilitate the separation of a single box from the top of thestack; and (iii) maintain a position of the box 14 while the grippersubassembly adjusts its position to engage the box 14. Separation of asingle box from the top of the stack may be referred to as “de-nesting.”The separator subassembly 30 facilitates separation of the boxes byensuring that the box 14 does not stick to an adjacent box in the stack(also referred to as a “second-from-the-top box” or a “second box”) whenthe gripper subassembly 32 engages the box 14. In various otherimplementations, the height of the stack of boxes may be determinedusing other methods that do not require the separator subassembly 30.

The separator subassembly 30 is coupled to a first support beam 120. Thefirst support beam 120 includes a first wall 122 and a second wall 124that extend substantially perpendicular to one another. In variousimplementations the first wall 122 may extend substantially verticallyand the second wall 124 may extend substantially horizontally. The firstwall 122 and the second wall 124 cooperate to define an L-shaped crosssection.

The first wall 122 defines a first plurality of apertures 126. As shownin FIG. 2, the first support beam 120 extends between the first wall 56and the second wall 58. The first support beam 120 is coupled to thefirst and second walls 56, 58 by a third plurality of fasteners 128.

Returning to FIG. 4, the separator subassembly 30 generally includes asecond base 130, a pivotable body 132, a first or upper stabber arm 134,and a second or lower stabber arm 136. The second base 130 is coupled tothe second wall 124 of the first support beam 120. The pivotable body132 is rotatably coupled to the housing via the second base 130. Theupper and lower stabber arms 134, 136 are slidingly coupled to thepivotable body 132. The second base 130 includes a pair of opposing sidewalls 138 between which the pivotable body 132 is at least partiallydisposed. The side walls 138 may be sloped such that the decrease inheight toward a center of the inner area 52 of the housing 50.

The pivotable body 132 is coupled to the second base 130 by a fourthplurality of fasteners 140. The pivotable body 132 is rotatable withrespect to the second base 130 about a first rotational axis 142. Thefirst rotational axis 142 extends through the fourth fasteners 140. Moreparticularly, the pivotable body 132 is pivotable in a first rotationaldirection 144 between a first separator position (FIG. 4) and a secondseparator position (not shown). The second separator position is greaterthan 0° and less than about 90° from the first separator position in thefirst rotational direction 144. The second separator position isoptionally greater than 0° and less than or equal to about 45°,optionally greater than 0° and less than or equal to about 30°,optionally greater than 0° and less than or equal to about 15°,optionally greater than 0° and less than or equal to about 10°, oroptionally greater than 0° and less than or equal to about 5° from thefirst separator position in the first rotational direction 144.

The pivotable body 132 is biased in the first separator position, suchas by a spring (not shown). Thus, the pivotable body 132 is configuredto automatically return to the first separator position from the secondseparator position. The pivotable body 132 is pivotable in a secondrotational direction 146 opposite the first rotational direction 144 toreturn the pivotable body 132 from the second separator position to thefirst separator position.

The separator subassembly 30 further includes a third limit switch (notshown) to prevent the pivotable body 132 from rotating past the secondseparator position in the first rotational direction 144. The pivotablebody 132 is mechanically prevented from moving past the first separatorposition in the second rotational direction 146 due to physicalengagement of the pivotable body 132 with the second base 130.

The pivotable body 132 defines a substantially U-shaped cross section.Opposing sides 148 of the pivotable body 132 are spaced apart to definean interior region 150. The upper and lower stabber arms 134, 136 arecoupled to the pivotable body 132 and configured to translate withrespect to the pivotable body 132 independent of one another. The upperstabber arm 134 is driven by a first linear actuator 152. The lowerstabber arm 136 is driven by a second linear actuator 154. The first andsecond linear actuators 152, 154 are at least partially disposed in theinterior region 150 of the pivotable body 132. A second motor 156supplies power to the first and second linear actuators 152, 154. Invarious other implementations, separate motors supply power to the firstand second linear actuators 152, 154.

The upper stabber arm 134 includes a first flange 158 disposed at afirst proximal end 160. The upper stabber arm 134 is fixed to a firstbar 162 at the first flange 158. A first distal end 164 of the upperstabber arm 134 is tapered in height (in a direction substantiallyparallel to the first and second directions 25, 27). A first pair ofguide pins 166 is fixed to the first bar 162 by a fifth plurality offasteners 168. The first pair of guide pins 166 extend through and areconfigured to slidingly engage surfaces of respective apertures definedin the pivotable body 132. The engagement between the first pair ofguide pins 166 and the pivotable body 132 provides mechanical support tothe upper stabber arm 134. The upper stabber arm 134 further includes alip 170 that extends toward the first side wall 56 when the separatorsubassembly 30 is coupled to the housing 50 (FIG. 2).

The lower stabber arm 136 includes a second flange (not shown, similarto the first flange 158) disposed at a second proximal end 172. Thelower stabber arm 136 is coupled to a second bar 174 at the secondflange. A second distal end 176 of the lower stabber arm 136 is taperedin height (for example, in a direction substantially parallel to thefirst and second directions 25, 27). A second pair of guide pins 177 iscoupled to the second bar 174 by a sixth plurality of fasteners 178. Thesecond pair of guide pins 177 extend through and are configured toslidingly engage surfaces of respective apertures defined in thepivotable body 132. The engagement between the second pair of guide pins177 and the pivotable body 132 provides mechanical support to the lowerstabber arm 136.

The upper stabber arm 134 is configured to move between a firstretracted position (shown in solid lines) and a first extended position(shown in dashed lines). The upper stabber arm 134 moves between thefirst retracted position and the first extended position by translatingalong a first or upper stabber axis 180. In the first extended position,the upper stabber arm 134 is configured to engage an outer surface ofthe box 14 (FIG. 2) on the stack of boxes. In the first retractedposition, the upper stabber arm 134 is disengaged from the stack ofboxes.

The lower stabber arm 136 is configured to move between a secondretracted position (shown in solid lines) and a second extended position(shown in dashed lines). The lower stabber arm 136 moves between thesecond retracted position and the second extended position bytranslating along a second or lower stabber axis 182. In the secondextended position, the lower stabber arm 136 is configured to engage anouter surface of the second-from-the-top box on the stack of boxes tohold the second-from-the-top box in place on the stack while the top boxis removed, as will be described in greater detail below. In the secondretracted position, the lower stabber arm 136 is disengaged from thestack of boxes.

The upper and lower stabber arms 134, 136 move in a third direction 184from the respective first and second retracted positions to the firstand second extended positions. The third direction 184 is substantiallyperpendicular to the first and second directions 25, 27. The upper andlower stabber arms 134, 136 move in a fourth direction 186 opposite thethird direction 184 from the respective first and second extendedpositions to the respective first and second retracted positions. Thefourth direction 186 is substantially perpendicular to the first andsecond directions 25, 27.

FIG. 5 shows the gripper subassembly 32, which transfers individualboxes from the stack of boxes to the conveyance system 16. Specifically,the gripper subassembly 32 engages the box 14 from the stack of boxes,lifts the box 14 off of the stack, and rotates the box 14 to place thebox 14 outside of the inner area 52 of the housing 50. Moreparticularly, the gripper subassembly 32 places the box 14 on theconveyor surface 26 of the conveyance system 16.

The gripper subassembly 32 is coupled to a second support beam 190. Thesecond support beam 190 includes a third wall 192 and a fourth wall 194that extend substantially perpendicular to one another. The third wall192 may be substantially vertical and the fourth wall 194 may besubstantially horizontal. The third wall 192 and the fourth wall 194cooperate to define an L-shaped cross section. The fourth wall 194defines a second plurality of apertures 196. As shown in FIG. 2, thesecond support beam 190 extends between the first wall 56 and the secondwall 58. The second support beam 190 is coupled to the first and secondwalls 56, 58 by a seventh plurality of fasteners 198.

Returning to FIG. 5, the gripper subassembly 32 generally includes athird base 210, a flipper 212, a gripper arm 214, and a motor 216. Thethird base 210 is coupled to the third wall 192 of the second supportbeam 190. The motor 216 is coupled to the third base 210. The flipper212 is operably coupled to the motor 216 and configured to pivot withrespect to the third base 210 (and therefore the housing 50). Thegripper arm 214 is slidingly coupled to the flipper 212.

The motor 216 is coupled to the third base 210 through an eighthplurality of fasteners 218. The flipper 212 is operatively coupled tothe motor 216 through an axle 220. The flipper 212 is configured torotate about a second rotational axis 222 between the grip position(FIG. 5) and the placement position (FIG. 1, shown in dashed lines). Theflipper 212 moves in the second rotational direction 146 about thesecond rotational axis 222 from the grip position to the placementposition. The flipper 212 moves in the first rotational direction 144about the second rotational axis 222 from the placement position toreturn to the grip position.

The flipper 212 includes a pair of opposing T-shaped side walls 224 thatare spaced apart from one another. The T-shaped side walls 224 extendsubstantially parallel to one another. The flipper 212 further includesa pair of opposing connector walls 226. The connector walls 226 extendsubstantially parallel to one another. The connector walls 226 extendsubstantially perpendicular to the T-shaped side walls 224. Eachconnector wall 226 extends between the T-shaped side walls 224 and iscoupled to each of the T-shaped side walls 224 by a ninth plurality offasteners 228. The T-shaped side walls 224 and the connector walls 226cooperate to define an interior flipper area 230.

The gripper arm 214 is slidingly coupled to the flipper 212. The gripperarm 214 includes a center portion 232, two intermediate portions 234,and two outer portions 236. Each intermediate portion 234 is disposedlaterally between the center portion 232 and a respective outer portion236. The intermediate portions 234 are pivotable with respect to thecenter portion 232 about respective first pivot axes 238 that extendslaterally though the center portion 232. The first pivot axes 238 may besubstantially parallel to the second rotational axis 222. The outerportions 236 are pivotable with respect to the respective intermediateportions 234 about respective second pivot axes 240. The second pivotaxes 240 extend substantially perpendicular to the first pivot axes 238.

The gripper arm 214 is configured to translate along a gripper axis 242between a third retracted position (not shown) and a third extendedposition (FIG. 5) along a gripper axis 242. The gripper arm 214 isdisposed closer to the flipper 212 in the third retracted position thanin the third extended position. The gripper arm 214 moves between thethird extended and retracted positions to engage or disengage a box, andto clear other components of the automated food preparation system 10(FIG. 1) as the flipper 212 rotates about the second rotational axis222. The gripper arm 214 is moved between the third retracted positionand the third extended position by a linear actuator 244, which is atleast partially disposed within the interior flipper area 230.

As the gripper arm 214 translates along the gripper axis 242, a thirdpair of guide pins 245 slidingly engage respective apertures in theflipper 212. The gripper arm 214 translates along the gripper axis 242in the fourth direction 186 between the third retracted position and thethird extended position. The gripper arm 214 translates along thegripper axis 242 in the third direction 184 from the third extendedposition to the third retracted position.

The gripper arm 214 further includes two grippers, such as vacuumsuction grippers 246. The suction grippers 246 engage respective top andbottom portions 248, 250 of the box 14. The suction grippers 246 arecoupled to the gripper arm 214 such they are pivotable about the firstand second pivot axes 238, 240 and translatable along the gripper axis242. Thus, each of the suction grippers 246 has three degrees of freedomwith respect to the flipper 212.

The suction grippers 246 are coupled to the outer portions 236 of thegripper arm 214 through respective hollow shafts 252. An interiorportion of each hollow shaft 252 is fluidly connected to a flexible tube254 that is fluidly connected to the pump 34 (FIG. 1). The pump 34 isconfigured to draw air through the suction grippers 246 while thesuction grippers 246 are in communication with the box 14 to removablycouple the box 14 to the gripper arm 214 by way of vacuum pressure. Invarious implementations, the pump 34 may be used to create a continuousvacuum flow.

The gripper subassembly 32 further includes an optical sensor 256. Theoptical sensor 256 is coupled to the flipper 212 and configured torotate together with the flipper 212. The optical sensor 256 detects adistance between the optical sensor 256 and a surface of the box 14. Thedetected distance is used to determine whether (1) a box is present tobe gripped, (2) the box has been successfully gripped, and (3) the boxhas completed the rotation from the grip position to the placementposition. When the flipper 212 is in the grip position, the detecteddistance can be compared to a predetermined distance range to determinewhether the box has been successfully gripped. When the flipper 212 isin the placement position, the detected distance can be compared to asecond predetermined distance range to determine whether the box hascompleted the rotation to be placed on the conveyance system 16 (FIG.1).

FIGS. 6-7 show examples of a box 270 according to variousimplementations of the present disclosure. The box 270 includes a firstor top portion 272 and a second or bottom portion 274. The top portion272 is pivotally connected to the bottom portion 274 at a joint 276. Invarious implementations, the joint 276 may be a living hinge. The topportion 272, the bottom portion 274, and the joint 276 may be integrallyformed as a single piece.

The box 270 can be transitioned between an open position (FIGS. 6-7) anda closed position (not shown) by pivoting at least one of the topportion 272 and the bottom portion 274 about the joint 276. In theclosed position, the top and bottom portions 272,274 cooperate to definea compartment 278. The compartment 278 can be used to containfoodstuffs, such as a burger. In one example, when the box 270 is in theopen position, it contains a burger bun, where a crown or top half ofthe bun is disposed in the top portion 272 of the box and a heel orbottom half of the bun is disposed in the bottom portion 274 of the box270.

The top portion 272 includes an upper wall 279 having a first innersurface 280. The upper wall 279 has a curved or contoured profile.Accordingly, in various implementations, the upper wall 279 may bereferred to as a “curved wall.” The upper wall 279 and first innersurface 280 are convex with respect to the compartment 278. The upperwall 279 is therefore dome-shaped. The dome may have a non-circular baseas defined by the first perimeter 282.

The first perimeter 282 may define a substantially elliptical shapehaving pointed ends. Accordingly, in various implementations, the firstperimeter 282 may be substantially lens shaped.

The first perimeter 282 includes a first proximal point 284, a firstdistal point 286, a first exterior edge 288, and a second exterior edge290. The first proximal point 284 is disposed adjacent to the joint 276.The first exterior edge 288 extends between the first proximal point 284and the first distal point 286, at least partially along the joint 276.The second exterior edge 290 extends between the first proximal point284 and the first distal point 286, opposite the first exterior edge288. A first centerline 291 extends across the shortest distance betweenthe first proximal point 284 and the first distal point 286. The firstcenterline 291 extends between the first exterior edge 288 and thesecond exterior edge 290. The first proximal point 284 is disposed at afirst intersection of the first exterior edge 288, the second exterioredge 290 and the first centerline 291. The first distal point 286 isdisposed at a second intersection of the first exterior edge 288, thesecond exterior edge 290, and the first centerline 291. Both the firstexterior edge 288 and the second exterior edge 290 are convex withrespect to the first centerline 291. In various implementations, thefirst perimeter 282 may be substantially symmetric about the firstcenterline 291.

The top portion 272 includes a plurality of surface features tofacilitate loading and orienting foodstuffs into the compartment 278 andto improve aesthetics of the box 270. The top portion 272 includes asubstantially V-shaped projection 292 extending from the first innersurface 280. The V-shaped projection 292 extends into the compartment278 when the box 270 is in the closed position. Thus, the V-shapedprojection 292 is concave with respect to the compartment 278. TheV-shaped projection 292 includes a first leg 294 and a second leg 296that converge at a peak 298. The first leg 294 extends from adjacent tothe first proximal point 284 to the peak 298. The second leg 296 extendsfrom the peak 298 to an intermediate location 300 adjacent to the firstexterior edge 288. The V-shaped projection 292 is disposed between thefirst centerline 291 and the first exterior edge 288. The first leg 294defines an indent 302 that projects away from the compartment 278 whenthe box 270 is in the closed position. Thus, the indent 302 is convexwith respect to the compartment 278.

The top portion 272 further includes a first elongated projection 304, asecond elongated projection 306, and a third elongated projection 308.The first elongated projection 304 is disposed between the firstcenterline 291 and the second exterior edge 290. The first elongatedprojection 204 may be disposed opposite the V-shaped projection 292 withrespect to the first centerline 291. More particularly, the firstelongated projection 304 is disposed opposite the second leg 296 of theV-shaped projection 292 with respect to the first centerline 291. Invarious implementations, the first elongated projection 304 issubstantially a mirror image of at least a portion of the V-shapedprojection 292 (for example, the second leg 296) about the firstcenterline 291.

The second elongated projection 306 is disposed between the firstcenterline 291 and the first exterior edge 288. The second elongatedprojection 306 is spaced apart from the V-shaped projection 292 alongthe first centerline 291. Thus, the second elongated projection 306 isdisposed between the second leg 296 of the V-shaped projection 292 andthe first distal point 286.

The third elongated projection 308 is disposed between the firstcenterline 291 and the second exterior edge 290. The third elongatedprojection 308 is spaced apart from the first elongated projection 304along the first centerline 291. Thus, the third elongated projection 308is disposed between the first elongated projection 304 and the firstdistal point 286. The third elongated projection 308 is disposedopposite the second elongated projection 306 with respect to the firstcenterline 291. In various implementations, the third elongatedprojection 308 is substantially a mirror image of at least a portion ofthe second elongated projection 306 about the first centerline 291.

Each of the first and second legs 294, 296 and the first, second, andthird elongated projections 304, 306, 308 is oriented such that it isclosest to the centerline 291 at a proximal end (that is, closest to thefirst proximal point 284) and furthest from the centerline 291 at adistal end (that is, closest to the first distal point 286). In variousimplementations, the second leg 296 and the first, second, and thirdelongated projections 304, 306, 308 are substantially straight. Invarious other implementations, the second leg 296 and the elongatedprojections 304, 306, 308 have curvature. For example, such curvaturemay complement a shape of the foodstuffs, such as a perimeter of a buncrown.

When the box 270 is in the open position, the projections 292, 304, 306,308 cooperate to guide foodstuffs into the top portion 272. In oneexample, the crown of the burger bun is dropped into the top portion 272upside down. As the crown falls in the downward direction 25 (FIG. 1),it approaches the box 270 with its inside surface facing the top portion272 of the box 270 and its outside surface facing the bottom portion 274of the box 270. The outside surface of the bun crown contacts the firstleg 294 of the V-shaped projection 292, which acts as a rail, and slidesinto position. By sliding on the V-shaped projection 292 rather than thefirst inner surface 280, surface area contact between the bun crown andthe box 270 is minimized, thereby minimizing friction between the buncrown and box 270 and easing the loading of the crown into the topportion 272 of the box 270. Furthermore, the peak 298 of the V-shapedprojection 292 acts as a pivot point for the bun crown to ensure that itfalls into the correct orientation within the top portion 272 of the box270 and does not land upside down. After sliding down the V-shapedprojection 292, the bun crown lands in a cradle 310 that is at leastpartially defined by the second leg 296 of the V-shaped projection 292,and the first, second, and third elongated projections 304, 306, 308.

The interaction between the bun crown and the projections 292, 304, 306,308 facilitates maintaining the bun crown in a top-surface-upwardorientation. The curvature of the first inner surface 280 complementsthe curvature of the outer surface of the bun crown in the cradle 310.The bun crown is retained in the cradle 310 while its inner surfacedisposed substantially parallel to a surface 312 (FIG. 7) upon which thebox 270 is supported, such as the conveyor surface 26 of the conveyancesystem 16.

When the box 270 is in the closed position, the curvature of the topportion 272 can cooperate with the projections 292, 304, 306, 308 togive the box 270 an aesthetically-pleasing appearance. For example, anouter surface 314 (FIG. 7), the first perimeter 282, and the projections292, 304, 306, 308 may generally give the box 270 the appearance of aleaf.

The bottom portion 274 includes a floor 320 and a peripheral wall 322that are connected along an interior edge 324. The peripheral wall 322is angled upwardly and outwardly from the floor 320. The floor 320 isplanar and therefore configured to engage a planar surface, such as thesurface 312 or the conveyor surface 26 of the conveyance system 16 (FIG.1). A second inner surface 326 of the bottom portion 274 of the box 270extends across the floor 320 and the peripheral wall 322.

The bottom portion 274 includes a second perimeter 328. The secondperimeter 328 may define a substantially elliptical shape having pointedends. Accordingly, the second perimeter 328 may be substantially lensshaped.

The second perimeter 328 includes a second proximal point 330, a seconddistal point 332, a third exterior edge 334, and a fourth exterior edge336. The second proximal point 330 may be disposed adjacent to the joint276 and the second distal point 332 may be disposed opposite the joint276. The third exterior edge 334 extends between the second proximalpoint 330 and the second distal point 332, at least partially along thejoint 276. The fourth exterior edge 336 extends between the secondproximal point 330 and the second distal point 332, opposite the secondproximal edge. A second centerline 338 extends across the shortestdistance between the second proximal point 330 and the second distalpoint 332. The third exterior edge 334 and the fourth exterior edge 336are both convex with respect to the second centerline 338.

The floor 320 defines a stage 340. The stage 340 projects inward fromthe second inner surface 326 into the compartment 278 when the box 270is in the closed position. Thus, the stage 340 is concave with respectto the compartment 278. The stage 340 is spaced apart from theperipheral wall 322 so that an outer channel 342 extends around aperimeter 344 of the stage 340. The stage 340 includes a first portion346 and a second portion 348 separated by an inner channel 350. Thestage perimeter 344 complements the curvature of the interior edge 324so that the outer channel 342 is substantially the same width around theentire perimeter 344. The channels 342, 350 are at least partiallydefined by the stage 340 and the peripheral wall 322. The first portion346 defines a first contact surface 352 and the second portion 348defines a second contact surface 354.

The first and second contact surfaces 352, 354 cooperate to define aplanar contact surface onto which foodstuffs can be disposed. Forexample the bun heel may be disposed on the stage 340. The planarcontact surface can support the bun heel while other ingredients areplaced onto the bun heel. Excess ingredients, such as sauce, can collectin the outer and inner channels 342, 350, away from the bun heel, toprevent the bun heel from absorbing liquids.

The box 270 includes features that are configured to cooperate withfeatures on a second box 270′ to maintain separation between boxes whenthey are stacked in the nest 92. Features that are unique to the secondbox 270′ are shown in dashed lines. Unless otherwise described, thesecond box 270′ is identical to the box 270.

Four protrusions 356 are disposed about the interior edge 324 and spacedapart from one another on the box 270. The protrusions 356 cooperatewith identical offset protrusions 356′ on the second box 270′. The boxes270, 270′ are alternatingly disposed within the stack of boxes. Thus, agap is maintained between boxes 270, 270′ on the stack. Similarly, theindent 302 on the top portion 272 of the box 270 cooperates with anidentical offset indent 302′ on the second box 270′. The boxes 270, 270′may alternatively be randomly disposed within the stack. In variousother implementations, a stack of boxes may include greater than twovariations that are alternatingly or randomly disposed within the stack,such as three variations, four variations, five variations, or sixvariations, by way of example.

The box 270 further includes a locking feature to maintain the box 270in the closed position. An example locking feature includes a slot 358and a tab 360. The slot 358 is disposed on the bottom portion 274 of thebox 270. The slot 358 is disposed adjacent to the fourth exterior edge336. The tab 360 is disposed on the top portion 272 of the box 270. Thetab 360 projects from the second exterior edge 290. When the box 270 isin the closed position, the tab 360 is received in the slot 358 tomaintain the box 270 in the closed position.

As best shown in FIG. 7, the bottom portion 274 of the box 270 includesa non-uniform height with respect to the surface 312. More particularly,a first height 370 of the bottom portion 274 at the second proximalpoint 330 is greater than a second height 372 of the bottom portion 274at the second distal point 332. The first and second heights 370, 372may be measured substantially perpendicular to the surface 312. Thethird exterior edge 334 may slope or curve downward from the secondproximal point 330 to the second distal point 332. The profile of thethird exterior edge 334 may facilitate providing structure sufficient tocontain the foodstuffs, while providing visibility of the foodstuffs. Invarious implementations, the box 270 may include a substantially smoothouter surface 378 to facilitate reliable gripping by the suctiongrippers 246.

As described above, both of the top and bottom portions 272, 274 of thebox 270 may contain foodstuffs. The foodstuffs are at least partiallyretained by features of the box 270, such as the walls 279, 322 and theprojections 292, 304, 306, 308. The box 270 can therefore be closed byconcurrently pivoting the top portion 272 toward the bottom portion 274as indicated by the arrow 374, and pivoting the bottom portion 274toward the top portion 272, as indicated by the arrow 376. For example,the portions 272, 274 may be pivoted about 90° toward one another toclose the box 270. Closing the box 270 in the manner described aboveallows the box 270 to be closed without a human operator touching thefoodstuffs contained therein. Furthermore, the human operator may closethe box 270 using one hand.

In various implementations, the present disclosure provides an examplemethod of dispensing a box onto a surface. The method is described inthe context of the box-dispensing apparatus 12, the box 14, and theconveyor surface 26 of FIG. 1. One skilled in the art will appreciatethat the method could be performed with another box-dispensingapparatus, box, and or surface (not shown). The method may be performedby a control module, which may include multiple submodules, not shown ordescribed herein.

In FIG. 8, control begins at 410 where control extends the stabber arms134, 136 to prepare for engagement with the box 14. Control operates thefirst linear actuator 152 to translate the upper stabber arm 134 alongthe upper stabber axis 180 in the third direction 184 from the firstretracted position to the first extended position. The method continuesat 414.

At 414, control moves the stack of boxes in the upward direction 27 toengage the upper stabber arm 134. Control operates the linear actuator82 to translate the platform subassembly 80 in the upward direction 27.The stack of boxes translates together with the platform subassembly 80.As the platform subassembly 80 translates in the upward direction 27,the box 14 engages the upper stabber arm 134. As the platformsubassembly 80 continues to translate in the upward direction 27, theengagement of the box 14 with upper stabber arm 134 causes the pivotablebody 132 to rotate in the first rotational direction 144 about the firstrotational axis 142. The method continues at 416.

At 416, control determines whether the third limit switch is triggered.The third limit switch is triggered when the separator subassembly 30has been rotated into the second separator position. If the third limitswitch is triggered, the method continues at 418; otherwise, the methodreturns to 414.

At 418, control stops moving the stack of boxes in the upward direction27. Specifically, control stops operating the linear actuator 82 in theupward direction 27 via the first motor 84. The method continues at 430.

At 430, control operates the second linear actuator 154 via the secondmotor 156 to translate the lower stabber arm 136 along the lower stabberaxis 182 in the third direction 184 from the second retracted positionto the second extended position. In the second extended position, thelower stabber arm 136 engages a second-from-the-top box. Thesecond-from-the-top box is disposed adjacent to and immediately belowthe top box 14. The lower stabber arm 136 engages thesecond-from-the-top box at a joint between top and bottom portions ofthe second-from-the-top box (similar to the joint 276 of the box 270).The box 14 may therefore be disposed between the upper and lower stabberarms 134, 136. The upper stabber arm 134 may prevent translation of thebox 14 in the second direction 27. The lower stabber arm 136 may preventtranslation of the box 14 in the first direction 25. The methodcontinues at 434.

At 434, control extends the gripper arm 214 to engage the box 14.Control operates the fourth linear actuator 244 to translate the gripperarm 214 along the gripper axis 242 from the third retracted position tothe third extended position. In the third extended position, the suctiongrippers 246 are configured to engage the box 14. The method continuesat 438.

At 438, control turns on the pump 34, and operates the pump 34 to pullair through the suction grippers 246 and the flexible tubes 254. Themethod continues at 442.

At 442, control sets a counter to zero (0). The method continues at 446.

At 446, control increments the counter by one (1). The method continuesat 448.

At 448, control determines whether the vacuum pressure within the tubes254 is outside of a predetermined range. A vacuum pressure that isoutside of the predetermined range indicates that the suction grippers246 are not properly engaged with the box 14. If the vacuum pressure isoutside of the predetermined range, the method continues at 450;otherwise, the method continues at 452.

At 450, control determines whether the counter exceeds a predeterminedcount threshold. If the counter exceeds the predetermined countthreshold, the method continues at 454; otherwise, the method continuesat 456.

At 454, control operates a user interface device (UID) to alert anoperator of a potential gripping malfunction. The UID may include avisual display (such as, scrolling text or a flashing light), an audibledisplay (such as, an alarm), and/or tactile feedback (such as, avibration on a wristband). The method then ends.

At 456, control adjusts an orientation the gripper arm 214 to attempt toengage the box 14. Control may adjust the gripper arm 214 by one or moreof (i) pivoting the intermediate portions 234 of the gripper arm 214about the first pivot axes 238; (ii) pivoting the outer portions 236 ofthe gripper arm 214 about the second pivot axes 240; (iii) translatingthe gripper arm 214 along the gripper axis 242; and (iv) translating theplatform subassembly 80 to adjust a height of the box 14. The methodcontinues at 446.

At 452, the vacuum pressure is within the predetermined range andcontrol retracts the upper stabber arm 134 to provide clearance for thegripper subassembly 32 to pivot the box 14 from the grip position to theplacement position. Specifically, control operates the first linearactuator 152 to translate the upper stabber arm 134 along the upperstabber axis 180 from the first extended position to the first retractedposition. The method continues at 458.

At 458, control de-nests the box 14 from the stack and pivots the box 14away from the grip position. Control operates the third motor 216 torotate the flipper 212 about the second rotational axis 222 from thegrip position to a predetermined angular position. The predeterminedangular position is between the grip position and the placementposition. The method continues at 468.

At 468, control retracts the lower stabber arm 136. More particularly,control operates the first linear actuator 152 to translate the lowerstabber arm 136 along the lower stabber axis 182 in the fourth direction186 from the second extended position to the second retracted position.In other implementations, control may retract the lower stabber arm 136at 468 concurrently with pivoting the box 14 at 454. Alternatively,control may retract the lower stabber arm 136 any time before the methodrestarts at 410. The method continues at 470.

At 470, control retracts the gripper arm 214 so that the box 14 clearsother components of the automated food preparation system 10 duringrotation of the flipper 212. Control operates the linear actuator 244 totranslate the gripper arm 214 along the gripper axis 242 from the thirdextended position to the third retracted position. The method continuesat 474.

At 474, control pivots the flipper 212 toward the placement position.Control operates the third motor 216 to rotate the flipper 212 about thesecond rotational axis 222 from the predetermined angular position tothe placement position. The method continues at 478.

At 478, control extends the gripper arm 214 to prepare to release thebox 14. Control operates the linear actuator 244 to translate thegripper arm 214 along the gripper axis 242 from the third retractedposition to the third extended position. In various aspects, 470 and 478may be omitted from the method, such as when the gripper arm 214 doesnot need to clear components along its path between the grip andplacement positions. The method continues at 482.

At 482, control releases the vacuum pressure by operating the pump 34 tostop the flow of air. The box 14 disengages from the suction grippers246 and is deposited on the conveyor surface 26 of the conveyance system16. The method continues at 486.

At 486, control retracts the gripper arm 214. Control operates thefourth linear actuator 244 to translate the gripper arm 214 along thegripper axis 242 from the third extended position to the third retractedposition. The method continues at 490.

At 490, control pivots the flipper 212 to the grip position to prepareto restart the method. Control operates the third motor 216 to rotatethe flipper 212 about the second rotational axis 222 from the placementposition, through the predetermined angular position, and to the gripposition. The method ends.

In various implementations, the present disclosure provides a method ofhoming the box-dispensing apparatus 12. In FIG. 9, the method begins at510, where control operates the third motor 216 to pivot the flipper 212away from the grip position. The method continues at 514. At 514,control operates the fourth linear actuator 244 to translate the gripperarm 214 from the third extended position to the third retractedposition. The method continues at 518.

At 518, control operates the first and second linear actuators 152, 154to retract the upper and lower stabber arms 134, 136. Specifically,control operates the first linear actuator 152 to move the upper stabberarm 134 from the first extended position to the first retractedposition. Control operates the second linear actuator 154 to move thelower stabber arm 136 from the second extended position to the secondretracted position. The method continues at 522.

At 522, control operates the linear actuator 82 to translate theplatform subassembly 80 to the bottom position. The method continues at526. At 526, control operates the first linear actuator 152 to translatethe upper stabber arm 134 from the first retracted position to the firstextended position. The method continues at 530.

At 530, control operates the linear actuator 82 to translate theplatform subassembly 80 in the upward direction 27. Concurrently,control operates the third motor 216 to pivot the flipper 212 to thegrip position. In various other implementations, control pivots theflipper 212 before or after translating the platform subassembly 80 inthe upward direction 27, rather than concurrently. The method continuesat 534.

At 534, control determines whether the limit switch is triggered. If thelimit switch is triggered, the method continues at 538; otherwise, themethod returns to 530. At 538, control ceases operation of the linearactuator 82 to stop translation of the platform subassembly 80. Themethod ends.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in noway intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. Thebroad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety offorms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples,the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since othermodifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, thespecification, and the following claims. It should be understood thatone or more steps within a method may be executed in different order (orconcurrently) without altering the principles of the present disclosure.Further, although each of the embodiments is described above as havingcertain features, any one or more of those features described withrespect to any embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented in and/orcombined with features of any of the other embodiments, even if thatcombination is not explicitly described. In other words, the describedembodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or moreembodiments with one another remain within the scope of this disclosure.

Spatial and functional relationships between elements (for example,between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) aredescribed using various terms, including “connected,” “engaged,”“coupled,” “adjacent,” “next to,” “on top of,” “above,” “below,” and“disposed.” Unless explicitly described as being “direct,” when arelationship between first and second elements is described in the abovedisclosure, that relationship can be a direct relationship where noother intervening elements are present between the first and secondelements, but can also be an indirect relationship where one or moreintervening elements are present (either spatially or functionally)between the first and second elements.

As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should beconstrued to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logicalOR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least oneof B, and at least one of C.” The term subset does not necessarilyrequire a proper subset. In other words, a first subset of a first setmay be coextensive with (equal to) the first set.

In the figures, the direction of an arrow, as indicated by thearrowhead, generally demonstrates the flow of information (such as dataor instructions) that is of interest to the illustration. For example,when element A and element B exchange a variety of information butinformation transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to theillustration, the arrow may point from element A to element B. Thisunidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information istransmitted from element B to element A. Further, for information sentfrom element A to element B, element B may send requests for, or receiptacknowledgements of, the information to element A.

In this application, including the definitions below, the term “module”or the term “controller” may be replaced with the term “circuit.” Theterm “module” may refer to, be part of, or include: an ApplicationSpecific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixedanalog/digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixedanalog/digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; afield programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared,dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared,dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit;other suitable hardware components that provide the describedfunctionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as ina system-on-chip.

The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples,the interface circuit(s) may implement wired or wireless interfaces thatconnect to a local area network (LAN) or a wireless personal areanetwork (WPAN). Examples of a LAN are Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 802.11-2016 (also known as theWIFI wireless networking standard) and IEEE Standard 802.3-2015 (alsoknown as the ETHERNET wired networking standard). Examples of a WPAN arethe BLUETOOTH wireless networking standard from the Bluetooth SpecialInterest Group and IEEE Standard 802.15.4.

The module may communicate with other modules using the interfacecircuit(s). Although the module may be depicted in the presentdisclosure as logically communicating directly with other modules, invarious implementations the module may actually communicate via acommunications system. The communications system includes physicaland/or virtual networking equipment such as hubs, switches, routers, andgateways. In some implementations, the communications system connects toor traverses a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. Forexample, the communications system may include multiple LANs connectedto each other over the Internet or point-to-point leased lines usingtechnologies including Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and virtualprivate networks (VPNs).

In various implementations, the functionality of the module may bedistributed among multiple modules that are connected via thecommunications system. For example, multiple modules may implement thesame functionality distributed by a load balancing system. In a furtherexample, the functionality of the module may be split between a server(also known as remote, or cloud) module and a client (or, user) module.

Some or all hardware features of a module may be defined using alanguage for hardware description, such as IEEE Standard 1364-2005(commonly called “Verilog”) and IEEE Standard 1076-2008 (commonly called“VHDL”). The hardware description language may be used to manufactureand/or program a hardware circuit. In some implementations, some or allfeatures of a module may be defined by a language, such as IEEE1666-2005 (commonly called “SystemC”), that encompasses both code, asdescribed below, and hardware description.

The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and/ormicrocode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, datastructures, and/or objects. The term shared processor circuitencompasses a single processor circuit that executes some or all codefrom multiple modules. The term group processor circuit encompasses aprocessor circuit that, in combination with additional processorcircuits, executes some or all code from one or more modules. Referencesto multiple processor circuits encompass multiple processor circuits ondiscrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiplecores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a singleprocessor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term shared memorycircuit encompasses a single memory circuit that stores some or all codefrom multiple modules. The term group memory circuit encompasses amemory circuit that, in combination with additional memories, storessome or all code from one or more modules.

The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readablemedium. The term computer-readable medium, as used herein, does notencompass transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagatingthrough a medium (such as on a carrier wave); the term computer-readablemedium may therefore be considered tangible and non-transitory.Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory computer-readable medium arenonvolatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, an erasableprogrammable read-only memory circuit, or a mask read-only memorycircuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static random accessmemory circuit or a dynamic random access memory circuit), magneticstorage media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard diskdrive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, a DVD, or a Blu-rayDisc).

The apparatuses and methods described in this application may bepartially or fully implemented by a special purpose computer created byconfiguring a general purpose computer to execute one or more particularfunctions embodied in computer programs. The functional blocks andflowchart elements described above serve as software specifications,which can be translated into the computer programs by the routine workof a skilled technician or programmer.

The computer programs include processor-executable instructions that arestored on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. Thecomputer programs may also include or rely on stored data. The computerprograms may encompass a basic input/output system (BIOS) that interactswith hardware of the special purpose computer, device drivers thatinteract with particular devices of the special purpose computer, one ormore operating systems, user applications, background services,background applications, etc.

The computer programs may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed,such as HTML (hypertext markup language), XML (extensible markuplanguage), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), (ii) assembly code,(iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler, (iv) sourcecode for execution by an interpreter, (v) source code for compilationand execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. As examples only, sourcecode may be written using syntax from languages including C, C++, C#,Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Perl,Pascal, Curl, OCaml, Javascript®, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language 5threvision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: HypertextPreprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash®, VisualBasic®, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and Python®.

1. An apparatus for dispensing a single container for containingfoodstuffs, the apparatus comprising: a housing at least partiallydefining an inner area; a lift subassembly coupled to the housing anddisposed at least partially within the inner area, wherein the liftsubassembly includes a nest configured to support a plurality ofcontainers disposed in a stack and to translate with respect to thehousing in a first direction and a second direction opposite the firstdirection; a transfer subassembly coupled to the housing and disposed atleast partially within the inner area, wherein the transfer subassemblyincludes a end effector configured to operatively engage a firstcontainer of the plurality of containers to remove the first containerfrom the stack and move the first container outside of the inner area;and a separator subassembly coupled to the housing, wherein: theseparator subassembly includes a first arm and a second arm, the firstarm is configured to translate with respect to the housing between afirst retracted position and a first extended position independent ofthe second arm and to prevent translation of the first container in thesecond direction, the second arm is configured to translate with respectto the housing between a second retracted position and a second extendedposition independent of the first arm and to prevent translation of thefirst container in the first direction, and the first arm in the firstextended position is configured to cooperate with the second arm in thesecond extended position to retain the first container between the firstarm and the second arm.